Paul Martin, of Suffolk Road, Croydon, has admitted having a stun gun but denied the other two charges against him.

A Covid denier amassed an armoury of blades, crossbows and arrows as he called for a violent uprising during the pandemic, a court has heard.

Paul Martin, 60, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with encouraging terrorism on a Telegram group entitled The Resistance UK and having weapons “for the purposes of terrorism”.

In 16,000 posts, Martin allegedly called for the use of explosives, “serious violence” and “disruption” to influence the UK government or intimidate the public between December 2020 and September 2021.

Opening his trial on Monday, prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said: “He was vehemently against the measures brought in by the then-government in response to the pandemic, including the lockdown and vaccine rollout.

“He believed the pandemic was fake and the vaccine was dangerous and designed to be so and the people needed to ‘wake up’ to what he believed.

“It was this ideological cause that drove the messages encouraging violence and other action.”

Ms Faure Walker said that rather than restricting himself to lawful protest, the defendant had repeatedly referred to “serious violence, criminal damage and disruption of electrical communication systems”.

In the Telegram messages, Martin also referred to his weapons and encouraged others to acquire and use them in attacks, the jury was told.

Two crossbows, arrows and blades were found when police visited his home in September 2021, the court heard.

The defendant allegedly had joined Telegram group The Resistance UK in December 2020 and his posts made up some 4% of messages to the 8,000 members, the court heard.

Ms Faure Walker said: “It follows, the posts he was making reached a very large audience.”

As the name suggested, at least some of the members resisted the lockdown and other measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, jurors were told.

Given its size, Ms Faure Walker said there was no way Martin could have known all the group members, or how susceptible they might be to his influence.

Martin, of Suffolk Road, Croydon, has admitted having a stun gun but denied the other two charges against him.

The Old Bailey trial continues.

Evening Standard

A man with a ‘strong interest in Hitler and the Nazis’ used a 3D printer to make his own gun. Igor Ciesielski – who was described ‘intelligent’ – had not finished making the firearm when police searched his Bentilee home.

But Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 21-year-old – who spent a lot of time in his bedroom – had components to make ammunition which could have been used in the pistol.

And officers found disturbing comments the defendant made about Jews and evidence of his strong interest in the Nazis. Now Ciesielski has been jailed for two years.

Prosecutor Laura Coton said police searched the defendant’s home in Beverley Drive, Bentilee, at 6.30pm on May 11.

Miss Coton said: “In his bedroom they found a 3D printer in the process of printing. He was printing parts to construct a self-loading hybrid gun. Most of the parts had been printed and some parts were unfinished.

“There was a lower receiver and an upper receiver. Both had been finished. He had all the metal fasteners and small springs that would be required.

“There does not appear to be any dispute that the defendant intended to and was capable of producing the firearm to completion had he not been interrupted.

“He bought bullet cases and there was a jar containing a propellant. There is no dispute as to what this defendant intended to do. There was an incomplete 3D pistol frame which appeared to be consistent with a specific type of pistol. But it could not be used in its current condition because it was not capable of being used. There were two Glock compatible magazines.”

Police found comments made by Ciesielski in a chat with a friend. They included, ‘I understand why Hitler was so p*ssed,’ and, ‘Bro, I want a Glock so bad it is unreal’.

There were also comments relating to hatred towards Muslims, his interests in the Nazis and Hitler and reference to school shootings.

Ciesielski, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate and possession of ammunition with intent to manufacture.

Nichola Cafferkey, mitigating, said the chat material was with a young Muslim friend of the defendant. She said one of the chats was in August 2024 and a second was in December and ‘there was nothing else’.

Miss Cafferkey said: “At the time he was a young man who was spending excessive amounts of time on social media and long periods of time alone in his bedroom.

“He has expressed an insight into the impact his actions are likely to have on the wider community surrounding him. It is plain he is an intelligent young man. He has been in this country since he was 18-months-old. He has spent his entire education in this country. Having left school with a number of qualifications he completed an engineering course. He is intellectual. On the other hand he is naive and emotionally immature.

“He is of previous good character. He has come to realise the stress and strain he has put other family members through his own actions and stupidity. He does express some remorse for his actions.

“He is a Polish national notwithstanding the fact he has lived here since two years of age. In the event of an immediate sentence in excess of 12 months he automatically falls likely to be deported by the Home Office.”

But Judge Graeme Smith said the level of risk and the seriousness of the offence outweighed other factors. Judge Smith said: “I have read references provided by your parents and a number of friends and neighbours who all speak of you being polite, kind, respectful and trustworthy. It is clear you are intelligent and resourceful. There is another aspect to your character which was clearly not known to your family and most of your friends.

“You said the messages were simply intended as jokes and were taken out of context. However disparaging comments about Jews are always going to be worrying in the context of someone who has an interest in Nazism. You are potentially on a path other young men have gone down.

“There is no suggestion by the prosecution that there was any intent or plan. This country has robust gun control legislation for a very good reason. Fortunately for society and for you, you were caught before you had finished manufacturing a gun or ammunition for it.

“I have to sentence you for the two offences you have pleaded guilty to, not to what might have happened, had you been discovered at a later stage. There is no evidence of any plan or specific intent in relation to the weapon or the ammunition.

“There were 250 barrel casings. I am satisfied there was a high risk of serious harm. You are liable to automatic deportation. There are exceptions to these provisions. One includes the possibility that deportation might be in breach of your convention rights.”

The judge ordered the forfeiture and deprivation of the firearm, ammunition and components.

The Sentinel

A man has narrowly avoided prison for threatening to kill a woman after she posted a message on social media in support of migrants entering the country.

Jack Adamson, 26, sent messages saying he would slit her throat and that of her partner.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard the threats followed a Facebook post on September 19 in which she expressed her backing for migrants coming to Britain.

Adamson, of Castle Hill, Beccles – who was already banned from contacting her partner – then sent messages both to him and his girlfriend.

As well as the threatening to kill both of them, he also wrote that: “All Muslims should have their head hung from a tree.”

Adamson pleaded guilty to three charges: breaching a restraining order, using a public communication network to cause annoyance, and sending a communication threatening death or serious harm.

Magistrates imposed a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay a £154 victim surcharge.

The restraining order was also reimposed for a further two years.

EDP24

Paul Woodmass, of Lemington, tracked down and attacked the elderly stranger after meeting her a few weeks earlier while they walked their pets

A dog walker who raped a dementia suffering pensioner in her own home has been branded dangerous as he jailed for nine years for the shocking attack.

Paul Woodmass hunted down the elderly stranger after chatting to her while they walked their pets a few weeks earlier.

The married grandfather then raped the vulnerable victim after tricking his way into her home. As police spoke to the woman hours later, Woodmass turned up outside her house, refused to give his name to police until he was arrested and was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms, having gone back hoping to strike again.

The 66-year-old, of Linnel Drive, Lemington, Newcastle, had denied rape and said they only chatted and had a cup of tea, despite his saliva being found inside her underwear. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted him after a trial in July and he has been remanded in custody since then.

Now he has been jailed for nine years plus an extended licence period of a further three years after a judge branded him a dangerous offender. He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life and was given a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order, which are both indefinite.

As he was sentenced, the court heard the victim “mercifully has no real recollection of what happened” as a result of her dementia. Judge Andrew Smith said: “She knows something happened that was not pleasant. She doesn’t fully understand and to some extent thinks she might be responsible. It’s knocked her confidence going forward.”

Passing sentence, the judge said: “You undoubtedly met her on an earlier occasion when she was out walking her dog. You would have identified her as elderly and forgetful with a degree of confusion.

“You entered her house, she can’t remember how you got in – if you were invited in it was as a result of a degree of trickery. Your purpose was not to have a cup of tea (as he had claimed), your purpose was at least to take advantage of any sexual opportunities which arose.”

The judge said he could not be sure he intended to rape her when he went there. But he did rape her and the judge said his actions showed he was “forensically aware”.

He added: “I think you went there to chance your luck and when you got there you realised the position she was in and took advantage of it. I take the view you are a dangerous offender.”

It was just after 3pm one afternoon that the pensioner called her son and said someone had been in her house and raped her. The son and his wife rushed to her home, where she repeated the claim, saying someone had had sex with her and she didn’t want it. She said he he had left his two dogs outside during the attack.

Earlier that afternoon, Woodmass had gone to a nearby house asking for the victim but he had gone to the wrong address.

The court heard police arrived at the woman’s home around 3.30pm. While she was struggling to recall certain details, she gave some details of what had happened.

Police spoke to neighbours and had identified the man with the two dogs as Woodmass after he was caught on ring doorbell footage. Later that day, police were still with the pensioner when they saw Woodmass at the bottom of her driveway.

His behaviour was immediately suspicious. He refused to give his name, saying he would only provide information if he was accused of committing a crime.

After being arrested, Woodmass said he had gone to the woman’s home “to have a cup of tea”. When he was searched, he was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms. Judge Smith said his account to jurors that he had found the condoms on the street was “frankly unbelievable”.

He added: “I’m quite sure you went back to the house intending to have sexual intercourse with her again, regardless of whether she consented or not. You knew what you could get away with and went back having obtained condoms because you were forensically aware.”

Woodmass’ saliva was found on the inside of the pensioner’s underwear, which jurors were told “is not consistent with having a cup of tea and giving her a hug”.

Jurors were told about a previous incident with another woman Woodmass met while dog walking in 2021. She said they got talking, had a shared interest in music and he offered to share some of his music with her. When he attended her house with a device with some music on it, the woman said he asked her for a hug and she agreed but during the “prolonged” embrace, he kissed her twice on the neck, which she said she was not happy about.

The woman said he then turned up at her home another day out of the blue in a drunken state. She said he told her he had not had sex with his wife for 20 years and that he “needed intimacy”. She told him he was making her feel uncomfortable and she believed he was asking for sex. She said he asked for a hug and she closed the door and locked it.

The woman said she got a family member to call him and they left a message telling him to leave her alone and she never saw him again. She reported her concerns to the police.

The court heard Woodmass has only one previous convictions, for drink driving in 2020. Jane Foley, defending, said character references from friends “demonstrate there’s another side to Mr Woodmass”.

The Chronicle

Thanks to Kirklees Unity for the info.

He had written a letter addressed to his mum before he died

A Liverpool dad was found dead in Spain. Paul Hepplestall, from Dingle, was found dead in his Spanish prison cell, aged 45.

An inquest into his death on Thursday (September 25) heard how Paul was found dead while awaiting trial in Alicante. Following his death on February 28, 2023 his mum Sheila Hepplestall had received a note addressed to her saying he could no longer continue with life in prison. The note came from another inmate and not from officials, however it was later confirmed to be in Paul’s handwriting.

The ECHO previously reported in May 2023 how a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Paul, who had no occupation, after he failed to answer a postal requisition charging him with possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs and possession of criminal property, namely £13,125 and €50 in cash.

On April 24, 2023, the warrant for his arrest was formally withdrawn at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court as, according to a register of the hearing, “defendant is now deceased”.

The charges related to an incident on April 14, 2020 and were part of Operation Hammer, Merseyside Police’s long-term ongoing operation to tackle drug dealing related offending.

A post mortem was carried out in Spain and the cause of death was ruled hypoxic anoxia caused by hanging.

Despite asking the Spanish authorities Coroner Anita Bhardwaj confirmed today that no further evidence was provided to the Coroners Court.

Mrs Bhardwaj said the note left by Paul suggested that he was going to self harm and she accepted the cause of death however gave a narrative conclusion.

She said Paul “self-ligatured” however due to the circumstances of his death being unclear she couldn’t rule suicide.

n a funeral notice posted in the ECHO his family said: “He was beloved son of Sheila and Sheila’s partner Les, (who Paul described as his ‘mate’).

“A loving dad to Flyn, Ethan and Mason and much loved brother of Jason and Jeff. Dear nephew of Mary, Joe and Trish and a special uncle, cousin and a friend to many. ‘You’ll never walk alone Son’.”

Mr Hepplestall was laid to rest on April 21 at Our Lady Mount Carmel Church in Dingle. His family asked for donations to the mental health charity MIND in lieu of flowers.

Liverpool Echo

Previous conviction is here